ggleblanc: The stronger players complain about the ContinueWhileDozensOfPointsBehind tactic as a time waster. I've been in that situation a few times with beginners and can see their point.
As a lower ranked player, I occasionally see a game where the stronger player attacks for the maximum point difference win, rather than letting a weakness or two pass. I'm not suggesting that the stronger player should deliberately lose; rather I'm saying that it would be more polite to stop playing and count the score when it's obvious that the stronger player is ahead,
DougRidgway They may not be toying with you -- perhaps they are just practicing the difficult art of winning a won game. It's not over until there are two passes or someone resigns.
jfc: is this an attempt at humor? If so, your act still needs a bit of work.
Harleqin: jfc, I am not sure whether You refer to the page or to Doug's comment, but I don't think this page is intended as humour. If you are ahead, you should strive to simplify the game by securing your positions and covering your weaknesses. Then you can safely bring home your victory. Just attacking like it doesn't matter who is ahead often gives the opponent a chance to stage an upset which obviously you don't want, especially having been ahead before. Knowing how it stands, and playing accordingly, is an important part of go strength. This is not even a question of politeness.
jfc: I was referring to ggleblanc's original comment. I think it is a troll (in which case it is working as we are responding) or an attempt at humor.
while following the proverb simplify when ahead can improve your winning percentage, there are other factors to consider.
In ggleblanc's scenario the players are of clearly different skill levels with the stronger player far in the lead. ggleblanc's suggestion that the stronger player should "stop playing and count the score" suggests a teaching game or, at the very least, a friendly game. In this case the stronger player continuing to attack when she already has a clear win may be a strategy to combat boredom until his opponent resigns.
Scryer: "Simplify while ahead" makes sense only in the context of a contest where the outcome is in doubt: it's a heuristic that helps you try to win a close game when you're ahead. In the case hypothesized, the player who's ahead will win; the only questions are when and by how much. What should happen is that the losing player will resign when the loss becomes obvious. The stronger player has several options available, including: (1) Kill another dragon and make the loss more obvious to the loser, in hopes of terminating a game whose aji has been keshied; (2) Fill dame and ignore losing invasions, hoping that this will encourage the loser to pass; (3) Amuse yourself by trying for a specific winning margin: 1/2 point, for example. It's going in the 'W' column anyway, and if you're as much better as you think you are, you may as well play with your food while you're waiting.